Reconciliations
by YusukesLover
Summary: Sanzo remembers something he wishes had stayed forgotten. Goku realizes something he wishes he hadn't. Can these two lost souls ever find peace? Warnings: GRAPHIC RAPE (may be triggering) specific chapter warnings inside, language, pre-slash shounen-ai
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! YusukesLover here with my first story in a very long time. Also my first attempt at something dark. Right now, I am fascinated by recovery from trauma and how a strong character reacts to it. In this chapter there is nothing too graphic, unpleasant but not graphic. I will be upfront when a chapter has disturbing content so that people uncomfortable with it can skip over it. Constructive criticism is always welcome. A big thank you to my beta, AiryAquarius!

Chapter 1: The Nightmare

The still night was broken by the pounding of bare feet across the temple floor. He was running fast, almost too fast, as he skidded around a corner. The child's small limbs shook with exhaustion. His breath was loud in his ears and his heart beat in his throat. Sweat poured down his small frame in torrents... but he dare not stop. They were too close.

There were four of them; far larger and older than he. The men seemed so large and intimidating in the low light of the crescent moon, almost larger than anything could be in real life. The smaller boy heard their footfalls in hot pursuit and forced his scrawny legs to propel him forward. He thought he could feel their hot breath and grabbing fingers. The boy wasn't sure what the men would do if they caught him. He didn't want to think about it.

'Just a little further' he thought in desperation. 'If I can get to where Master Koumyou is...' Normally, such a thought would disgust the child. He was strong. He needed no protection. These weaklings couldn't take him in a fair fight! His ire increased at the indignation of being outnumbered by cowards who wouldn't dare attack him during the day. Chasing Koumyou's disciple in the daylight would've raised suspicion.

Due to their weakness and the favor of some of the higher monks, the men's attacks were normally limited to snide comments on his parentage (or lack thereof) or on his haughty attitude. When they were lacking in creativity, they fell back to the taunt the other children had gifted him with: 'Kouryuu , the River Rat'. They whispered behind his back: 'The brat is an Ashura!' But the ones the child hated most were the ones that attacked his looks. It wasn't his fault that he was 'pretty, almost like a girl!' What pissed him off the most, was that they implied that he had used his thrice-damned good looks to charm his way into Master Koumyou's good graces. Or even worse insinuations that made him simmer in a black rage: that he should use those talents and 'assist' his other superiors. To that, the boy said "They can go fuck..."

His thoughts were cut short as he felt a hand brush the back of his neck. They were way too close! Cursing his stupidity and carelessness, he pushed all of his remaining strength into his legs. As he pulled away, a brief glimmer of hope lodged itself in his chest. He was almost at Master Koumyou's quarters in the temple. If he could get close enough, he would at least have backup when he confronted these bastards.

Unfortunately, his hope was short-lived. It was true that he had pulled away, but the added burst of speed caused him to skid around the last corner. Unlike the last turn he had made, the child's speed made it impossible for him to keep his balance. He could feel his feet slip out from underneath him. As he crashed to the floor, he cursed loudly. He had hoped that the crash from his fall and the vulgar language would at least bring one of the more conservative monks to see what the disturbance in Buddha's temple was. Once again, the hope that had briefly bloomed vanished. He could clearly visualize felt their smirks of triumph more than he saw them as one of the men reached out and grabbed one of his ankles.

Rage filled the child's small body and he lashed out, kicking and punching. How dare these filthy pigs touch him! But as he breathed in to cuss the assholes out, a large clammy hand clamped down on his mouth. Desperation lent strength to limbs that no longer obeyed his mind's orders. Arms and legs flailed about as teeth bit into the fleshy part of the hand that covered his mouth. He felt a grim sort of pride when one of his pursuers sucked in a pained breath when his teeth, an arm, or a leg landed a solid blow. Frantically trying to buy himself time, he neglected to notice when a man got behind him and chopped him on the back of his neck. Struggling against the darkness creeping up on him, all the boy could do was bedamn his weakness as his vision faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone. Here's the next chapter. Nothing serious here, except language. But if Sanzo is in the story, there's going to be some...creative language. ^.^ Many thanks to AiryAquarius who is an awesome beta!

Chapter 2: Denial

Genjo Sanzo the thirty-first Toa of China awoke with a start, his violet eyes wide and glazed with the remnants of sleep. The vestiges of his nightmare refused to let go. Sanzo's eyes darted back and forth, assessing his surroundings and searching for his attackers. He barely breathed, hyperventilating briefly to get air into his uncooperative lungs. When sleep finally left him, Sanzo narrowed his eyes in self-disgust. He was fine. Of course it was dark, but it was almost three in the morning! And the only things assaulting him was Goku's ridiculously loud snores and sleepy grumbles for food.

Sitting up on his bedroll, the blonde looked around him with eyes that were now focused and fully aware. He saw the coals of last night's fire glowing dimly in the moonlight surrounding them. The steady, deep breaths of the other men confirmed what he already knew. His 'associates', for lack of a better term, were still sleeping peacefully around him. The only one awake was Jeep who gave a curious "Kyu?" Frowning at the pest, Sanzo reached for a cigarette and a lighter.

After it was lit, Sanzo breathed in deeply and allowed the sweet nicotine to kill any discomfort remaining from his dream. 'What the hell?' he thought grumpily. The monk reflected on his dream then. What on this god-forsaken earth had brought that weird dream on? Men chasing him? He couldn't remember any time that had happened. Except that night. But he had handled that. Those bastards never had a chance of beating him. Putting a bullet between their eyes had ended that chase, permanently. As he had journeyed on, he had practically forgotten about those perverts. They were nothing to him: pathetic losers who had lost to a child. A child who had just left the temple where he had spent his entire childhood and who had just lost his master. There was no way they would have been able to knock him out. Rubbing his sleepy eyes irritably, Sanzo gave up on getting back to sleep.

The monk stood and walked over to the small pond adjacent to the foursome's campsite. He splashed some cold water on his face to clear his mind and then sat down on the grassy bank. Staring off into nothing, Sanzo allowed the cigarette to dangle limply from his lips. He honestly didn't want to think about his stupid dream. These kinds of nightmares were children's dreams, not the dreams of grown men. Growling in frustration, he decided to meditate.

Besides 'muichimotsu', Sanzo didn't believe in many Buddhist practices. But meditation, despite being a common Buddhist practice, was a different story. Meditation was one of the things he had excelled at in the temple and it was something he _might_ admit to enjoying. The silence that surrounded him, broken only by the idiot monkey's snoring and an occasional sleepy murmur from Gojyo, was the perfect environment for meditation.

Sitting up straight, the priest took one last inhale of his addiction and then snuffed the cigarette. Closing his eyes, Sanzo started to breathe deeply. Inhale: the man looked at the cares that cluttered his mind. Exhale: he forced them out of his mind with his breath. Sanzo repeated this exercise with everything that was on his mind; the nightmare, the journey west, even his Master's death. Everything was expelled with each exhale. Slowly, the tension seeped out of his limbs and something like relaxation took over his face. Eventually even the sounds of the night vanished and all there was were his steady heartbeat and his deep breaths.

"Sanzo?"

The blonde was rudely brought back to reality when a puzzled voice entered into his consciousness. Blinking to try and refocus himself on the present, he turned to the annoyance currently looking at him with golden eyes full of confusion.

"What is it?'" Sanzo growled through clenched teeth. He had finally started to relax! Then the brat had to come and ruin everything. Why the hell was he up anyway? It was way past the monkey's bedtime.

"What're ya doin' up?" Goku slurred through sleep numbed lips.

"Che! I could ask you the same!' He turned away from his...charge? It seemed unfair to call the teen standing before him that. After all, the monk wasn't exactly the most attentive guardian. Also, Goku had proven that he could, in fact, take care of himself. Setting that subject aside for further study, he focused on the moonlight reflecting off the pond.

"Had to pee." Of course it would be something as stupid as that. "Seriously, why are ya up, Sanzo?"

"None of your business, monkey."

"M'not a monkey." Due to the late hour, Goku's retort held little of its normal vehemence. Sanzo could practically hear the monkey's annoyance as he avoided the question yet again. The brat needed to mind his own business. He was jerked out his thoughts when a warm body crouched next to him. "Nah, Sanzo, what's up?"

The blonde man sighed, now his monkey was curious. Sanzo knew Goku would never drop it if he didn't get some kind of answer from him. "What does it look like I'm doing, brat. I'm meditating, or at least I _was_. Shitty brat." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Goku frown.

"Crazy ass time to meditate." Sanzo almost smirked.

"It's the only time you and the other assholes aren't making a racket."

"Hmmm..." They sat in silence for a while, watching the lightening sky. "Nah, Sanzo," Goku started "are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"Seriously monkey, what the hell is with you?!" Sanzo had lost his smidgen of patience.

"You just have this look in your eyes." Sanzo sat, stunned at the candid statement. "You have a look I've never seen there before."

"And what look, pray tell" Sanzo intoned sarcastically, "do I have in my eyes?"

"Dunno, um...Something like desperation. As though you're trying to forget something, or remember something you've forgotten."

The monk gaped at the child? Teen? Man, next to him. "The fuck do you know! I'm not trying to forget anything and everything I've forgotten I want to stay that way! Shitty monkey, trying to play fucking psychiatrist on me! You're about a billion years too early and two billion brain cells short to do that!"

"Have it your way." Sanzo couldn't have been more surprised at the quiet utterance. He had expected a fit, a fight, a punch, something: some reaction other than Goku standing and heading towards a group of trees to do his business. The blonde watched the heretic's back as he walked away and wondered what the hell this world was coming to.


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, here's the next installment. This one's a little boring, but bear with me. Many thanks to my beta Airy Aquarius for helping me make my thoughts semi-coherent. I don't normally like to beg for reviews, but I am wondering if anyone is even enjoying the story. So rate or review or follow or something! Just let me know what you think. Throw an author a bone here!

Chapter 3: What Goku Knew

The next morning, Goku was awoken from his sleep by the smell of breakfast cooking. His stomach rumbled and he sat up with a slurred "Food?"

Hakkai smiled at him from across the fire. "Good morning Goku. Breakfast will be ready shortly. Why don't you go wash your face?" With an only partially coherent "Sure", Goku stumbled off towards the pond. It was only after he had washed his face and began eating the rice gruel Hakkai had handed him that his brain woke up enough to consider the events of the previous night. Eating his meal with his usual gusto, Goku got down to thinking about all that had occurred the night before.

What the hell had Sanzo been doing up at such a late hour? Goku glanced at the monk as he was eating, noting the slight bags under the blonde's eyes. He seemed normal, aside from that slight sign of a restless night. His remarks, when he made them, were as acerbic as always. Hell, he was even eating something! But something had seemed off about his sun last night. Goku tried to remember everything that happened.

The young man had been roused from his sleep by an urge to pee. He had gotten up to answer nature's call when his awareness, limited by sleepiness as it was, had noticed something unusual. Glancing around, Goku had tried to discover what was amiss. Then he saw Sanzo. What was Sanzo doing awake, and why was he sitting beside the pool?

Goku had asked and had received the predictably snarky answer he had expected. What he hadn't expected was the look buried in the violet eyes he knew better than his own golden ones. That was something new. He had tried asking Sanzo about it, but was deflected. The sage grew annoyed. Sanzo was mistaken if he thought a weak dodge like that was going to deter him now that he was older. So he had persisted. Finally, he had come to the conclusion of what lay there. He had never seen such desperation before. It seemed as though Sanzo was struggling with something from his past that his conscious mind refused to acknowledge. He may be naive, but Goku wasn't stupid. When the monk had invariably exploded at the insinuation, Goku had merely let the objection stand. Who was he to force someone to confront that which they were not ready to confront? He had left the man sitting by the water, stunned by his unexpected reaction, and went about his business.

That was not to say he had had an easy time falling asleep afterward. Goku lay awake thinking about everything he knew about Genjo Sanzo: his habits, his character, and the limited knowledge he had on the monk's background. While that reflection had only strengthened his belief that Sanzo was forgetting something from his past, whether intentionally or not, it had not given him any ideas into what it was. Goku's musing had eventually put him to sleep, but the heretic resolved to watch Sanzo closely in the morning.

"Something wrong Goku?" A concerned voice brought him out of his reflections.

"Huh?" Goku looked across the fire and noticed a set of confused eyes looking across the fire at him.

"You're being awfully quiet today, stupid monkey." another voice teased from the side. He was perceptive enough to notice the concern hidden behind the insult.

"Ahaha," he laughed nervously. "Sorry, guess I was just so hungry I was focused on eating more than talking. And don't call me a stupid monkey ya damn pervy kappa!"

"Ehh! What did you call me brat?!" Gojyo allowed the issue to drop as he and Goku began one of their epic mealtime fights. Soon, the wicked harisen rained punishment upon their poor heads with a shout of "Shut up and eat!"

Whining against the treatment, Goku thought to himself that despite the bags, Sanzo had seemed fine all morning. To continue to worry about something like that would only bring concern from the rest of the so called 'Sanzo Party'. The gold eyed man dismissed his worries, knowing that Sanzo was a strong man. He would eventually figure out what he was forgetting or trying to forget. Once he did, Sanzo would develop a plan of action, most likely ignoring the problem until it solved itself or until he became comfortable with his new reality. Goku figured that if Sanzo actually did need help then he'd be able to tell. No one knew Sanzo better than he did after all. Not even Sanzo himself.

And so the morning passed without incident and the gang packed up their campsite to continue West.


	4. Chapter 4

So this chapter is mostly exposition, but I hope I made it interesting enough. Once again, thanks to AiryAcquarius for being a wonderful beta. And a special thanks to AcerbusEquinomin56, whose advice led to the creation of this chapter. Reviews? Reviews? Reviews for the poor author?

Warnings: None save the Party's potty mouths.

Chapter 4: Sanzo being Sanzo

Sanzo sulked in the front seat of the Jeep as the group drove through a perfectly flat and perfectly boring stretch of countryside. This week had not been one of the better weeks for the Sanzo party. For starters, all that tall grass seemed to encourage the not so intelligent teams of demon assassins. "Hey! Hide in me and launch a sneak attack!" was what the scenery to say to the bastards. The fact that the grass only came up to a fully grown man's waist and that the four targets were not fucking idiots was of little consequence. So the attacks had been more nuisances than legitimate attacks.

For another, they hadn't seen a town in nearly five days. The map they had acquired several weeks ago had shown a town in this part of the countryside...about eighty miles back. "It seems our map is a little inaccurate, huh Sanzo?" a clam voice stated.

"Hmph! Obviously." replied Sanzo curtly. "Whichever idiot made it should be shot."

"Or better yet, forced to wander through here with only his map as a guide." Gojyo called out from the back seat. "What kind of fucking idiot gets things like the location of towns so damn wrong?!" The crimson haired man was not handling the withdrawal from his cigarettes or his women well. His long hair looked like a rat's nest. Anxious fingers had been running through the strands with increasing frequency over the days he had been without his vices.

Sanzo refused to acknowledge that piece of profound idiocy with a reply, but he did feel a bit smug. Gojyo had already smoked the entire package of cigarettes they had purchased in the last town a week ago while the blonde still had three of the glorious cylinders left. The monk drew one of the last sticks of tobacco with an air of nonchalance, noting the way the kappa's eyes followed it as he brought it to his lips. Sanzo almost let a small smile break through his expressionless facade, but he had a reputation to uphold after all, even if the only audience were his companions.

"That's just cruel. You're so mean Cherry-chan." The monk could practically hear the pout in Gojyo's voice.

"You should've been more careful with yours then." Sanzo retorted. A grumble that sounded something like "Bastard" muttered under his breath was the kappa's reply. However, despite being petty enough to take some enjoyment in Gojyo's misery, he wasn't cruel enough to allow the tobacco filled air to float over the redhead's way. He made sure to exhale over the side of the Jeep and kept it away from his cigarette deprived traveling companion.

Hakkai shot the monk a mildly disapproving look. "Do you really need to taunt him Sanzo?"

"Hmph!" was all the blonde said in response to that.

With a sigh, Hakkai smiled at Gojyo in the rear-view mirror. "I think we might have a beer left. I've been saving it for an occasion like this."

"The Merciful Goddess should take lessons from you 'Kai!" the kappa exclaimed happily. "Oi, stupid monkey! Grab me the beer."

Goku continued to stare out at the passing scenery, but replied "Sure." Bending down, he reached into the container under his seat and pulled out the last can of precious elixir. "Here." After handing it to the baffled but pleased redhead, the brunette continued his staring.

"Is everything alright Goku?" the human turned demon asked the young man concernedly. "You seem awfully quiet."

"Yeah, I'm just hungry." While that fact was not surprising in the least, the fact that the group hadn't heard that particular sentence in about an hour was. Also, it was not spoken in the teen's normally whiny tone. Instead, it was stated in a matter of fact tone. This concerned Hakkai, but most especially and secretly, Sanzo. "Besides, the pervy kappa is obviously too tobacco deprived to even attempt such a simple task on his own, so I need to help him."

"Shut up you stupid monkey!" Gojyo had finished the beer, and retorted with his normal vehemence. "I'm not as simple as you are!"

"Oh is that right! Then how come you needed simple ol' me to get your damn beer huh?"

"Why I oughta..."

"Hey! Quit touchin' me!"

"Then don't grab my hair you stupid..."

"Shut the hell up you two!" Sanzo's shout was accompanied by the thwacks of a harisen hitting two unprotected heads. "Just sit there quietly and leave me in peace!"

"Well, well, it seems everyone is feeling better" Hakkai smiled and said.

"Hmph, they should've just stayed in whatever form of discomfort they were in. My peace was way too short-lived." Sanzo's cigarette had burned to the filter, so he tossed it over the side of the Jeep and resumed his grumpy huff looking out at the empty plain.

"Hey," Goku said "it looks like it might rain."

The monk turned his head to look and see where the monkey was looking and sure enough he saw hints of storm clouds crawling over the horizon. Just fucking perfect.

"Hopefully we'll get to a town soon." said Hakkai, his placid expression looking strained. "If not, we'll pull to the side of the road and set up camp.

"I think we'll get to a town soon." Goku stated with such assurance that the statement caused the other three members to look at him in confusion.

"And what the hell gives you that idea?" Sanzo asked, perplexed.

"The road isn't quite as bumpy. It's more worn, like people travel it more often." the brunette responded causing the blonde and the redhead to look at their driver who looked at Jeep for confirmation. A short and happy "Kyu!" was the answer they needed.

Sanzo supposed they shouldn't be surprised that the monkey had been the one to notice the difference out of the four of them. Goku had spent most of this week, when he wasn't repelling attackers or arguing with Gojyo, asleep or staring off into space lost in his own world. 'Probably a world where everything was meat and edible.' he thought to himself, allowing his perceptions of the teen to remain unchanged and unchallenged.

"Well, let's hope you're right, Goku." Gojyo stated, a little unsure of the reliability of Goku's observation. "I'm not sure I can live another day without a cigarette."

"Shut up and die then." Sanzo's mood was darkening with the horizon. Noticing his ire, the two in the backseat came to an unspoken agreement not to say or do anything that might result in their leader getting even the least bit annoyed for fear that he would make good on his threat to shoot the two of them.

Several hours later, when the sky had darkened considerably and thunder roared in the distance, the group of men found themselves at a small town. More of a village than a town, but it had an inn. An inn with four rooms available at that. Apparently, this was the season when all of the hunters were out plying their trade. "When the season's over, we'll be packed because they'll all be here trying to sell their goods, but for now we're as quiet as a ghost town." explained the pretty, young hostess at the inn. "You'll be able to eat here since we have an attached tavern, though there's not much available at the moment."

"As long as you're available, sweetheart, it doesn't matter what else is around." Gojyo practically purred. The hostess rolled her eyes. As did Goku, though the young man kept his comments to himself.

The conversation in front of him was background noise as Sanzo finished writing their names in the ledger and handed over the credit card. All he wanted to do was get up to his room and smoke the night away. The village had cigarettes to spare since they would be in high demand when the hunters returned.

"Are you going to stay in your room all night Sanzo?" a quiet voice entered into his conscious. Expecting Hakkai to be there with a sad but understanding look on his face, the monk was surprised when he saw Goku standing there with the exact same look on his face that he had expected on the vine demon's. A glare and silence was answer enough. The brunette shook his head sadly, but didn't comment or even try to encourage him to eat something. Instead, when the teen's stomach growled, he turned his attention to the hostess who was still fending off flirtatious one-liners from Gojyo and asked "Where can I get somethin' to eat? I'm hungry!" There was the whiny tone.

The hostess looked at him with a sympathetic smile. She had heard the grumbling of his stomach even over the kappa's chatter. "Our kitchen isn't open at the moment, but if you hurry, you can make it down to the general store and buy some dumplings before the rain starts." Too late, the rain began to lightly patter against the wooden slats of the inn.

"it's not too heavy yet!" said Goku as he ran for the door. "I'll be right back!" With that, he dashed out the door and down the street.

Hakkai shook his head in amusement and then turned serious when he saw Sanzo begin walking up the stairs that led him to the room he'd be staying in. "Try to eat something, Sanzo." he said gently, not expecting his advice to be followed.

"The monkey could take a hint, why can't you?" The monk didn't even turn around to deliver that statement and rounded a corner before the green-eyed demon could respond. He opened the door, entered the room, then sat at the window, lighting a cigarette and staring out at the steadily falling rain. No matter how much progress seemed to be made, no matter how many years it had been since he'd seen that scene, no matter how long he traveled with companions who would gladly have lightened his burden; rainy nights still got to him. And though he hated himself for his childish bout of gloom, he would have hated himself even more had he ceased to remember. He allowed all other thoughts to desert his mind in favor of that remembrance. Tomorrow, once the rain had gone, they would continue the journey set before him. Tomorrow, he would get back up and continue to be strong. But for now, he wanted to be left alone and lost in his memories.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay everyone, here's my next chapter. As always, thank you to my very talented beta, AiryAcquarius, for catching all my mishaps. I really want to know what you guys think so far. Please rate or review so I can see what everyone thinks and progress appropriately.

**WARNINGS**: Graphic sexual abuse, pedophilia, may be triggering!

Chapter 5: Busted

The first of his senses to return was hearing. At first, all he heard were murmurs, as though someone was talking from far away. When he began to hear what was being said, Kouryuu was pissed to say the least.

"He's beautiful."

"Yeah, it's a shame his personality doesn't match, but we can still derive some benefit from him." There was laughter from at least two other people who had yet to speak.

His next sense to return was smell. The young blonde caught the stale scent of sweat and a kind of musky scent that made him want to vomit. Next, was taste. There was some sort of cheap material wedged in his mouth. It tasted like dust and dirt and the texture was rough against his mouth. Probably something similar to the cloth that made up the monks' robes. The next to return was touch. The child's knees hurt from where he had been forced to kneel. Clammy hands held his ankles down and apart. Another set of large hands held his wrists together and secure above his head. But it wasn't until he felt a slight draft that he realized, with growing horror, that he was being undressed. Finally his sight came back: what he saw made the anger and fear return. His four attackers were huddled around his kneeling form. Only a sliver of moonlight peeked in through a small window. While the blonde was unconscious, his tormentors had moved him to a more secluded room.

"Oi! The brat's awake!" His golden hair was yanked and Kouryuu's neck bent at an extreme angle.

"Good. It wouldn't be fun unless he was participating. Neh, Kouryuu-chan?" The sickly cute way the man said his name made him shudder in disgust and narrow his eyes in fury. The boy wished he could see his attackers more clearly. If he could look them in the eye, Kouryuu was certain he could scare them off with his aura alone. Alas, the moonlight was too weak, and the hand that held his head made it impossible to get a proper look. He was jerked back to reality when his short robe finally fell off of his shoulders. Enraged, the child began to try and free his limbs from their confinement and he tried to cuss out his attackers. All of his efforts to escape only resulted in his clothes slipping off completely and a muffled string of protests. Sitting bare before these sickos was probably the most humiliating experience in his short life. Kouryuu closed his eyes and felt tears of frustration burning behind his closed lids.

"Oi, let's get on with it. We never know when Master Koumyou will come looking for his little whore." A stifled indignant curse was interjected and ignored.

"There, there, Kouyruu. We'll take good care of you." a voice cooed at him, causing his ire to increase more. "All we ask is for a little reciprocation. Just give us the same kind of treatment you give Master Koumyou, hmm? After all, it's your duty as a novice to attend to your elders, isn't it?" The barely masked glee in the voice above him made him grit his teeth in anger. He opened his eyes and glared in the general direction of the voice, trying to communicate his absolute loathing with his violet eyes alone.

A short bark of laughter. "Look, he's mad." The cackling of the four stooges grated on his nerves and increased his account for revenge. "What's wrong? Are you a picky slut, River Rat?"

"Yeah, and he tries to pretend to be holier than the rest of us. You're just a toy: something Master Koumyou picked up out of pity and decided to make the best of." This dig actually hurt. Sometimes he DID think that his Master had picked up the river orphan only because he pitied the poor child. Mercy he could take, charity he could not.

Kouryuu heard the sound of clothes being shucked and sucked in a breath in horrified realization. Against his will, he felt his body begin to tremble and he was filled with hatred for his own fear.

"Oh, poor thing. Nervous? Don't worry. We won't judge you too harshly." a voice whispered next to his ear, causing the boy to jerk away and hiss in pain as the movement caused him to pull away from the hand holding up his head. There was some muttered conversation around him and the hands holding him down began to position his body. The blonde had been waiting for something like this; he had hoped that when they went to move him, their grip would be loosened. Once again he tried to wriggle himself free, and once again was brought face-to-face with his own helplessness. The tears that had never quite vanished from his eyes resurfaced again as Kouryuu was consumed with self-loathing. Why was he so weak?!

The child was snapped back to reality by hands running down his body. He jerked and tried to shimmy away, but the large hands held him still. He frame shook with rage: how dare these cretins touch him! He barely allowed his Master that privilege.

"Alright gents, let's get this started. Midnight prayers will be over soon and we don't want to be disturbed." His hands were separated and forced to his sides. Two hot dicks were forced into his clenching hands. In front of his upturned head, a penis stood at attention: obviously waiting for something to distract the boy enough to let the man release the gag and use something else to muffle the blonde's cries. Kouryuu also felt hands holding his hips elevated and a massive amount of heat at his back.

His eyes widened in panic. They couldn't do this to him! The boy began to hyperventilate and his heart began to race. Chilly fear swear lightly coated his frame. No way in hell was he going to let himself be...be...


	6. Chapter 6

Okay all, here's the next chapter. This chapter was a little more difficult to write. Trying to keep the two in character was really tough. Many thanks to AiryAquarius for helping me straighten things out! As always, reviews are appreciated. They let me know what my readers are thinking and feeling. Please review if you like the story. Or even if you hate it! Tell me what you all think.

Warnings: none

Chapter 6: Reactions

Sanzo's awakening was a violent one. He sat straight up in bed, gasping for breath, limbs flailing about in the sheets. The bedding felt too much like those restraining hands in his dream-like state and the blonde fought to free himself. As he returned to awareness, Sanzo noticed the rumpled mess he had made of his sleeping arrangements and felt the sweat that lightly coated his slim frame. This nightmare, occurring just two weeks after the last nightmare of this kind, had disturbed the monk badly enough for him to not yet feel the disgust such an intense reaction would normally bring up.

'The hell was that about?' he thought to himself, trying to calm his desperate panicky breathing. It was unusual for him to have this kind of dream. Hell, until two weeks ago, Sanzo hadn't had one in over a decade. Such stupid nightmares shouldn't be coming to him. Nothing had happened in his life that suggested the act that his dream self was so obviously fearful of.

Looking over to the other bed in the room and to the person lying in it, Sanzo was happy that he had caved into the monkey's whines to room with someone other than Gojyo. If Hakkai had been in the room, the monk's abrupt rousing would have woken the human-turned-demon as well. The green eyed man would have asked Sanzo about his dream and it was something the blonde really didn't feel like thinking about right now.

Goku was still fast asleep. Being the heaviest sleeper Sanzo had even known, the monk's vigorous stirring hadn't even disturbed him from whatever dream he was having. The gold-eyed teen was still snoring loudly and contentedly mumbling requests for meat.

Sanzo snorted and turned his focus back to his lap. This dream had felt so real, but the monk knew that nothing like what had been implied at the end had happened. Sanzo shuddered at the thought of people getting away with touching him in such a perverted manner. Sure, every now and then some drunken sop would grope his ass, but the offending hand was immediately wrenched away and held in a vice-like grip, nearly breaking their wrist for good measure. Sometimes, if they were particularly 'friendly' a gun was shoved in their face. Once more, Sanzo cursed his deceiving feminine looks.

A headache had formed after the retreat of his stressful nightmare. Sanzo reached up to rub at his temple and felt something that caused him to widen his eyes. 'Are those...tears?!' The blonde immediately ripped his hand away from his face and stared at his fingers in the moonlight that filtered in from the open window. Sure enough, there was wetness on them.

Alright, now that was just pathetic! How could a dream move him, who hadn't cried since the day his Master passed, to tears. Furiously, Sanzo scrubbed at his face, ridding himself of the offending drops. Now that he was aware of it, his eyes burned like they had that night when his Master had saved him from the demon thieves. Disgusted with himself, Sanzo got up and grabbed his cigarettes. If he wasn't going to get back to sleep, then he was going to go out and smoke. Leaving his charge to his dreams, Sanzo grabbed the sutra and a lighter and stealthily made his way out of the room.

Once the door closed and the light footsteps receded from his hearing, Goku gave up feigning sleep. He had awoken earlier, when some vague feeling of unease had entered his dreams. Trusting his instincts, the earth spirit woke up, peered around the room, and extended his senses to look for what was off. He hadn't sensed the presence of demons and was just about to fall asleep when a soft groan hit his ears. Turning swiftly towards the other occupant of the room, Goku was fully woken by the sight of his sun twisting restlessly in his bed. Soft groans of distress and a slightly salty scent in the air caused Goku's golden eyes to widen. Sanzo, the Sanzo who always seemed so strong and resilient, was crying. Goku could just make out the faint tracks upon the pale skin of the monk's cheeks. Torn about what to do, his decision was made for him when violet eyes had snapped open and limbs wind-milled about as if in an attempt to get away from something.

Knowing that Sanzo would not want to be seen in such a state, Goku had immediately faked sleep. He had heard the slight movements that his sun had made, had felt the amethyst orbs glancing at him in the dark, and heard the revolted sound that Sanzo made when he discovered the tear tracks. When the monk grabbed everything he would need to smoke the night away, Goku had been dismayed. This would be the second time in such a short while that Sanzo had gave up a night of sleep.

Thinking back to the last instance not so long ago, Goku wondered if a similar occurrence had happened to make Sanzo give up on rest. On that night though, the blonde had not cried. Perhaps a different nightmare then? Goku was not as stupid as the others held him to be. He could recognize the signs of a bad dream as well as anyone else he knew. It did seem strange that Sanzo would have nightmares, outside of the ones that he had on rainy nights reminded him of his Master.

Maybe this, whatever it was, was what the monk was trying to deal with on that night by the pond. Obviously little to no progress had been made. He wasn't really sure what he had expected from the monk. Maybe for a little more progress to be made in such a long time. But knowing Sanzo as he did, Goku figured that the stretch of time since his last nightmare had lured the blonde into a sense of security. No need to think about one random nightmare after all when so many other things: their journey West, the assassins after them, and dealing with the effects of the Minus Wave to name a few, were in need of immediate attention.

As much as Goku wanted to stay up and think of ways to help his sun, his body refused to give in to his wishes. While falling asleep, Goku resolved to keep a better eye on Sanzo and to try his best to solve whatever issue the blonde was having.

Whether Sanzo knew about it or not.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Sanzo-watching

Key:

Blah - inserted words

Blah - deleted words

Blah- suggestions, explanations, doubts

When he had first started watching Sanzo, Goku had thought he had known almost everything about the monk. He knew of the blonde's deeply buried kindness and of the wisdom that lurked behind the young, gruff face. He knew that Sanzo had started smoking because the previous abbot of Keiun temple had, and the blonde wished to honor his memory. Sanzo had told him a little about his childhood so Goku knew the name of his Master, the previous Sanzo Priest: Koumyou Sanzo. But after about a week of closely observing the monk, Goku had realized how much he didn't know. Some of things he hadn't known were only small things though, things he could forgive himself for not noticing.

For example, the brunette hadn't known that Sanzo disliked water chestnuts. A few days ago, they had been eating at a small tavern, in an even smaller town. While Goku had devoured his meal with his usual gusto, he watched Sanzo as he ate. The blonde, though he would never acknowledge it, took small almost dainty bites of his food. After a while, it became apparent that he was picking around the water chestnuts that were interspersed in the dish. When the man had only water chestnuts left, stacked in a neat pile on the corner of his plate, he had glared at them as though they had mortally offended him. Suddenly, he shook himself out of it and swiftly ate the offending vegetables. The face the monk had made afterwards continued to make Goku smile to himself. It was a grimace disguised as a scowl and looked like some weird combination of both. He had never shown any such dislike for anything else they had eaten. Thus, he had learned Sanzo's least favorite food.

Other details, however, were so glaringly obvious that the brunette was disgusted with himself for missing them. He had discovered that Sanzo was strictly ruled by routine, not because he was a priest, but because he liked to have control over every aspect of his life that he could. He had his habits and stuck to them more than moss to an ancient tree.

He had always known that Sanzo liked to read the paper in the evenings with a cigarette and a cup of tea. What he hadn't noticed was the adorable gesture he was sure the blonde would deny performing were he aware of it. After he finished reading the paper and folded it neatly the monk would stare off into space for a few moments, probably gathering his thoughts or processing the information he had read. During this short trance-like state, Sanzo would run the tip of his index finger contemplatively around the rim of the tea cup. When he came back to himself, the violet-eyed man would pick up the cup and stare at the remaining liquid. After a moment's hesitation, he would gulp down the rest of his drink.

Also, Sanzo cleaned his gun once a week and always on the same day, Wednesday. Even at the same point of his day. Right after they had stopped traveling and set up their sleeping arrangements, the gunslinger would sit off to the side and methodically take apart his banishing gun. He would clean each part carefully and inspect it for damage, then put it back together with just as much precision. The fact that the man went to such lengths to keep routine was baffling to Goku. He liked to live in the moment after all. But if it made the monk happy, or at least content enough not to shoot the lot of them, he would be happy for Sanzo.

As he had come to learn all of these new things, Goku had come to a depressing conclusion: he didn't know enough about Sanzo to tell if or when he was acting strangely. The young man had started watching his sun for any signs that whatever problem the monk was dealing with was becoming too much for him. If there was so much he didn't know about the blonde, how would he be able to help?

This realization caused him a lot of distress, but eventually he found his determination. It didn't matter that he didn't know the exact actions or reactions he should be looking for, what mattered was that he paid attention and learned from what he saw. The brunette would learn Sanzo's usual patterns and note any differences in them he might notice. The fact that Sanzo was so ruled by habit made this strategy all the more effective and easy to follow successfully.

Also, it was no hardship to watch the blonde. Goku would never say it to the man, but to the brunette, Sanzo was the most beautiful creature on this earth. Nothing he had seen even came close. Knowing this would only anger the monk if he said it, and noticing how others who said the same thing looked at the man only discouraged him further. The others: men, women, humans, demons, they all looked at him as though he were a piece of meat they were looking to purchase. The appreciative glances seemed more for their benefit than for Sanzo's, especially when they continued to look at him with lust even after he glared at them with frigid amethyst eyes.

Even like that, those eyes rivaled all of the pretty statues and offerings Goku had seen throughout his years at the temple with Sanzo. The teen never wanted to make the monk uncomfortable or angry by looking at him the way others did, so he hid his appreciation underneath his admiration for his sun.

Because it wasn't only his looks that attracted Goku. His personality, though prickly and aloof, was another source of attraction for him. Sure, the young man never liked being on the receiving end of Sanzo's ire, but every hint of kindness, every glimpse of true happiness or contentment on the man's pretty face made Goku's heart give off warmth that filled his whole chest. He wasn't sure why the warmth filled him so or why it was so important for Sanzo, above all others, to be fulfilled. He figured it was because seeing Sanzo happy made him happy, as happy as when he had first eaten Sukiyaki with the three he now traveled with.

Now that he was learning new things about the monk, he wanted to know more about him. What was he going to do once he recovered the second Scripture? What was his favorite book? Did he have any hopes or dreams that had been interrupted by his appointment as a Sanzo Priest or by the journey West? Goku hadn't the slightest idea where this intense desire had come from, but he knew how powerful it was. Even more intense than his craving for good food! He wanted to know Sanzo, the real Sanzo, the Sanzo that nobody else knew. And so he would watch, learn, and support from afar. Until the time came when he knew everything to be known about his sun.


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry for the delay everyone. Thanks for sticking with me thus far! Once again many thanks to my beta AiryAquarius for helping me cut down on the rambling.

Chapter 8: Musings

It felt like forever since he had a good night's sleep. Sanzo leaned his head back as Jeep drove the Sanzo Party further West. The last month and a half had been full of nightmares for the blonde monk.

On the two rainy nights that had occurred since his last nightmare, Sanzo had his usual dream of his biggest failure. Every other time, the monk had dreamed about those two impossible worst cases. Whether in a hotel or in the wilderness seemed to not matter. He had been fortunate that his disturbed sleep hadn't caused his companions to stir. Whenever they had access to a hotel, Sanzo had been able to wrangle himself a single room. When they were out and about, he had been careful to create some distance between himself and his companions.

The dreams had moved from a first person perspective to an almost out of body experience: he was watching the action as it was occurring rather than from his child self's perspective. Also, now the dreams were accompanied by two voices speaking over and over again: a litany of names and phrases that Sanzo detested almost as much as the dreams themselves.

The first voice was deep, raspy, and spoke with a savage sort of glee. Over and over the voice called the dream-Kouryuu things like "Slut", "Whore", or, "Weakling". It ran on, an endless repetition: a mantra of titles more fit for the scum that were performing the act than the child suffering it.

The second dream-voice was small, quavering, and high-pitched. It spoke with desperation and more often than not spoke in phrases rather than titles. "I'm scared." "Someone, anyone, please help!" These pleas and others like it, while often overshadowed by its louder counterpart, still managed to sneak their messages into his subconscious and almost add a narrative to the acts taking place in front of the adult him watching on.

Now that Sanzo had, regretfully, had plenty of time to reflect on the dreams, he acknowledged that _maybe_ something like the dreams had occurred while he was still at Kinzan temple. He knew though that the act had never ever transpired. However, the blond distantly and vaguely recalled that he had been chased one night by several of his elders and had been knocked out by them. He couldn't remember exactly what had transpired after that, but he knew that the second dream was utter fantasy. If such an act had taken place, the monks would not have been allowed to live. Kouryuu would have taken his vengeance upon them before anything had gotten out of hand.

This lack of sleep was definitely an issue though. It was making Sanzo lose focus. Despite Gojyo's teasing and Hakkai's admonishment, the monk was actually a decent shot. One tends to become good at something when their life depends upon it. But when he was tired, Sanzo was more likely to miss his shots. Even if he hit the target, the shot was normally not one that would deal significant damage and the blonde would be forced to use up another precious bullet. As they continued further West, their encounters had gotten not only more frequent but also more difficult. They were sending stronger and stronger groups after them and while it hadn't taken much more effort to defeat them, it would have taken even less if Sanzo's shooting was up to par.

Also, a sleepy Sanzo was a pissed Sanzo. He had been losing his temper more frequently and over stupid little things. He had definitely worn down his harisen with the frequency of his use. Even his gun was getting more action as a threat towards the two goons who often disturbed his peace. Just last week, he had fired a round an inch from Gojyo's face when he had been unable to buy Sanzo's preferred brand of cigarettes. And two days ago, the blonde had nearly broken the fan by bringing it down forcefully on Goku's head when his whines for food had become too frequent for his decreased level of patience.

The monk thought that Hakkai may have noticed something amiss. The brunette had often glanced over at him in puzzlement when he had seemingly overreacted to one of Gojyo and Goku's arguments in the back seat. However, Sanzo was certain that the man, while curious, would not pester him for answers. The self-made demon had his own secrets after all. He had no ground to stand on to force Sanzo to talk about anything he didn't want to.

One person whom he was almost certain had noticed his odd behavior was Goku. Despite his childlike demeanor, the sage was often more aware of things than he seemed. The monkey was watching him with much more closeness than the blonde was used to. With the way Goku usually watched him, that was saying something. However, the golden eyed teen seemed content for once to let Sanzo handle things on his own and not pester him for answers. Sanzo was grateful, but also a little leery of the sudden change in personality.

Though if Sanzo thought about it, this transition wasn't really sudden at all. For the last several months, Goku had been content to let sleeping demons lie. He'd stopped whining for the rest of the party to stop hiding things from him and had started to be more contemplative. About what, Sanzo was unsure, but the fact that he couldn't figure out what the monkey was thinking was a sure sign that Goku was keeping some things to himself. Probably stupid shit like 'This meat bun looks like a frog' or some other nonsense. However, he was also less prone to explode in a fit of childish anger when Gojyo did something to annoy him. Sure, the teen still fought over dinner and argued with the kappa, but it seemed as though Goku was doing it purely because that was how he and Gojyo related to one another.

The monk allowed his eyes to drift over to the teen in the back seat. Goku was watching the admittedly boring scenery go by with farseeing eyes. This new, more adult Goku, while certainly a blessing in some ways, was also a little disconcerting. Sanzo was used to the monkey acting a certain way and now that his behaviors had changed, the monk was uncertain as to how to perceive his charge. Was he still the child that needed Sanzo to teach and protect him? Was he a teenager who needed some leeway but also some sort of set boundaries enforced? Or was he something else?

"..nzo?" Someone was talking to him.

"What?" The blonde forced his mind back to the present and set aside his musings for later.

"I said there seems to be someone following us Sanzo." said Hakkai mildly, though with an air of concern. "Can't you feel the youki?" Now that the brunette had mentioned it, Sanzo did feel a sizable amount of youki nearby. He nearly groaned in frustration. Not this again.

"Oi, oi Sazno-sama," a teasing voice interjected, "it seems you're slipping." Sanzo turned to Gojyo and scowled, allowing that to be his response to the kappa's idiotic commentary.

"What do you want to do, Sanzo ?" asked Hakkai.

"Hmph, find somewhere easily defensible and-" Too late.

"Sanzo party! Hand over the Scripture and die!"

Well, fuck.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey everyone. Here's a chapter with some action in it! Sorry for the cliffhanger at the end (no I'm not :P). Rate and/or review if you please! Once again, my thanks to AiryAcquarius for being the best beta ever!

Warnings: language

Chapter 9: Confrontation

The youkai group in front of them was not the largest they had faced: only fifteen or so members. The Sanzo Party had certainly dealt with larger. That being said, the demons were not your average bottom of the barrel types either. They were well organized and the youki emanating from them was larger than average.

Several members stood barring their path with claws and melee weapons drawn. A small cluster of them stood slightly away and to the side, almost hidden by the trees at the edge of the decent sized clearing they had been passing through. The assassins had spread themselves out in such a way that the party would be unable to evade them unless they retreated.

The leader seemed to be a large brute of a demon, at least six and a half feet tall and an axe almost as tall as he was resting on his shoulders. The demon was dark skinned with scraggly brown hair. A casual smirk played about his lips as he once again shouted, "Genjo Sanzo! Hand over the Scripture and your death will be a painless one!" It seemed as though their pursuers were upping the ante.

"I refuse." Sanzo returned his usual rebuttal with indifference. Surreptitiously, he reached for his banishing gun.

The youkai leader shook his head, as though disappointed in the answer. But the widened, fanged grin on his face spoke otherwise. "Then die, puny human!" With that, several members of the group of mercenaries ran into the fray while others drew their long ranged weapons. Goku and Gojyo summoned their weapons and the teen ran headfirst into the fray with a triumphant "Hi-Ya!"

"Our pursuers seem less and less willing to negotiate, don't they?" commented Hakkai as he blew away two of their attackers with a shot of his chi.

"It almost seems like they don't like you Sanzo-sama." Of course Gojyo had to get in his two cents. The kappa's shakujo whirled through the air in a graceful arc, causing the demons that had approached him to retreat swiftly and avoid being sawed in half.

"Humph!" was all that Sanzo had to say on the subject. The blonde priest was firing his rounds at the demons that were currently shooting small dart-like projectiles at the group. Goku seemed to be holding his own, even surrounded by five of the demons. However, in stark contrast to their usual bouts, only a few of their adversaries had been felled.

"Oi, looks like you're losing your touch, ya pervy kappa!" the monkey teased as he blocked another attack and extended Nyoi-bo to whack an enemy that was trying to jump down on him from the trees.

"Shut up, you damn monkey! Like you're doing any better!" the redhead predictably retorted. It was true though, the group seemed to be having much more of a problem dealing with these assassins than those that had come before them; with the exception of Kougaiji's group of idiots.

"These demons seem to have some skill, hmm Sanzo?" the human turned demon stated after having narrowly avoided a blow that would have cut off his arm. Apparently he hadn't even fully avoided it, judging by the thin trickle of blood flowed down his arm.

Sanzo didn't reply. He was too busy trying to fend off the attacking demons while reloading his gun. This group did seem to have some level of combat skill if even Hakkai was having a hard time.

"GAH!" The monk swiftly glanced in the direction of the pain filled yell. Goku had been sent flying by the axe-wielding leader and had crashed into a large tree, breaking it in half. This was not good.

"Come now, Priest." the giant oaf said. "Surely you can see you're no match for us. Hand over the Scripture and..." The demon's monologue was interrupted when he had to dodge the attacks of Gojyo and Hakkai as they ran to back up Goku as he regained his feet. Cursing under his breath, Sanzo fired several shots in succession, trying to hit the demons that were trying to surround the group. He managed to banish one of them, but not without an injury for his efforts. The blonde grunted in pain when one of their dart-like projectiles lodged itself in his thigh. Spinning swiftly, Sanzo returned fire and managed to down another demon. The wound bled steadily but was not serious enough for concern. Try telling that to Goku.

"Sanzo!" the teen shouted. "Why you!" The amber eyed young man ran towards the other enemies, intent on destroying them for hurting his sun. "Take that!" Changing Nyoi-bo into its nunchuck form, the heretic jumped in the midst of the demons who were readying another round. Whirling it around with ease, he managed to clobber the five or so Sanzo had been unable to reach with his gun. Leaving his charge to deal with the long range attackers, the monk turned and focused on keeping the lower demons away from Gojyo and Hakkai as they simultaneously attacked the large leader. They were struggling, Gojyo's shakujo was bent nearly in half from when he had blocked the giant's axe. Hakkai was panting with exertion and trying to avoid the sweeping attacks of the axe. The leader seemed unfazed by the few attacks that landed on him, though he seemed to be favoring his right leg. Maybe if they could just...

Sanzo was jerked out of his thoughts when something wrapped around his ankle and tripped him. He swore and turned to try and shoot whatever had grabbed him. To his astonishment and annoyance, it seemed like a tree root had wrapped itself around his ankle. When he went to remove it, three more roots flung out and wrapped themselves around his other limbs. Cursing profusely, the blonde struggled to free himself as he was dragged towards a tall tree. However, it wasn't until he got close that the monk saw that he was actually being dragged down a hole near the bottom of the tree. "Fuck!" Darkness swallowed him as he was rapidly pulled under the earth.

Goku's loud and panicked "Sanzo! was the last thing he heard before he was consumed. Then he was rushing downwards towards only the gods knew what.


	10. Chapter 10

Kind of a short chapter this time, but necessary and yes the cliffhanger was intentional. I have to make sure you're all paying attention right? Many thanks again to my beta AiryAcquarius. Please rate and/or review!

Chapter 10: The Trap

Dirt and assorted forest debris rained down on him as the blonde man was whisked down what he could only think of as a mole's tunnel. A particularly large mole, but an unsavory rodent none the less. Sanzo struggled to free at least his gun wielding hand from the roots that bound him. The minute he got to wherever he was being taken, the monk resolved to shoot whoever the hell had grabbed him.

Suddenly the passage opened up to reveal a surprisingly large space. He was jerked to a stop suspended a few feet off of the ground. His shoulders protested the abuse as his arms were pulled out to hang at his sides. Sanzo glared around the opening and was slightly surprised to find that the space had once been a dwelling.

It had been taken over long ago by the forest, but its crumbling walls held back most of the dirt. The openings where windows had once been were the only points where the earth spilled in. A hole in the low ceiling had been what he had been pulled through. The residence was devoid of any furnishings save some recessed shelves that had been carved into the walls. The place smelt dank and earthly, the way he imagined a grave must smell. Torches set into dilapidated sconces lit the room faintly with a orange glow confirming the priest's suspicion that someone was responsible for his current predicament.

"Welcome, Genjo Sanzo." a smooth voice called out from the dimness. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The feeling is not mutual." the blonde growled out, trying to adjust his eyes to the dim light so he could see his attacker. "Who the hell are you?"

"My apologies." Sanzo saw a man stand up on a root in the corner of the room where he had been perched. "My name is Kitai, and I'm afraid I must ask you to hand over the Maten Scripture." The demon that stood before him gave a small bow at his introduction then stood with a smirk on his face that indicated he was garnering amusement at the situation. His enemy stood at roughly six feet tall with thin arms and legs. His eyes were bright green and gleamed with mirth. Kitai's hair was a deep muddy brown and hung in a sleek loose ponytail that fell about mid-arm's length down one shoulder. Oddly enough, the brunette was dressed like some sort of gentleman. Polished black shoes were on his feet: shoes whose shine were rapidly fading in the large amount of dirt that surrounded them. Gray slacks, a button down white shirt, and a green fitted vest completed the ensemble. Sanzo snorted at the absurdity of it all.

"Hmph! And I'm afraid I must ask you to fuck off." The smirk on the demon's face widened to a full blown grin.

"Ooh, a feisty one, eh? And a pretty boy to boot! I sure scored big this time." The green eyed man began walking towards his immobilized prey. Roots came to life and formed something like a step stool in front of the demon as he walked up to Sanzo's eye level. Cocking his head, Kitai seemed to study the monk before him. "Such a pretty face. Almost like a girl, though the scowl on your face ruins that illusion. I wonder if your scream sounds like a girl though." The blonde grit his teeth and growled at the demon before him. Why were all his enemies so obsessed over his looks? Sanzo forced his wrist to painfully move and point the banishing gun at his enemy. The gun was shaking with the effort it took to turn and hold it aimed at the man's heart. "Uh-oh! Can't have that now, can we?" The root currently restraining his arm tightened until his wrist snapped. The blonde grunted in pain as his hand went limp and the gun fell to the floor with a clatter. He refused to give the man what he wanted. Sanzo breathed through the pain, taking deep breaths through his nose, never letting his defiant stare waver from Kitai's face. That was it, he was bringing out the big guns. Sanzo began to chant quickly and quietly under his breath, hoping that the fool in front of him was as stupid as his foppish clothes suggested. If there was a drawback to using the Scripture, it was the lengthy time it took to use it. This drawback bit him in the ass this time.

"Oh dear. None of that, lovely one." A small root wrapped around his mouth, gagging him and forcing him to stop his mantra. "We wouldn't want something like that ruining our fun now, would we?" Sharp canines were bared in a grin that threatened to rip his face in two. The monk glared at his captor, raging in his head about the uselessness of his companions. However, his anger at them was far outclassed by his anger at himself. How dare he let himself get into such a compromised situation.

In the very back of his head, almost far enough back to be completely subconscious, Sanzo felt himself panic a little. The way he was restrained was too similar to his recent nightmares. The blonde cursed at his own ridiculous weakness. It seemed as though Kitai could see something in his eyes that his own mind refused to acknowledge because the look on his face became terrifyingly triumphant.

"I like the way fear looks on you, sweetheart." the slick voice cooed at him. "I think I might need to keep you. They can have that piece of paper, but I'm keeping you. You're just way too delicious." The brunette's voice hardened until his statements seemed almost like commands. "I really do need to see how well you scream though. Maybe I can have the pleasure of them when I break you in. I haven't had a virgin in a long while."

Maybe it was the 'breaking him in' part or perhaps even the fiercely possessive way he said 'virgin', but something about the situation unleashed all of the pent up memories in Sanzo's psyche. It was too much and before he knew what was happening the room faded to make way for the memory he had temporarily succeed in forgetting.


End file.
